Experience with Dean USA guitars?

[BTMN]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

I wasn't going to say anything because...be nice and all, but...that HEADSTOCK!? Why???

It really is the one thing that keeps me away from this brand.
I just don’t like the look of the headstock.

Pretty sure he is saying the Headstock is fugly.

I hated that headstock from 1978 until I finally bought my first Dean in 2003. Now I have a few.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

I hated that headstock from 1978 until I finally bought my first Dean in 2003. Now I have a few.

Hah, you really dipped your pen into the Dean company ink.

The Headstocks don't actually bother me much, what bothers me is the 50 Deans I played in the late 80s and 90s that were Asian second hand stuff apparently. -In the pawn shops I grew up around in the southern US (Florida, NC, and Atlanta -Dean was like the crap brand every one of them had. -The fretboards, frets, nuts, pickups, and the ones with binding just felt gross in a cheap way.

However, I think Aceman said the company changed hands and mistakes were made during that period.

So I need to work through this aversion I have to Dean.

Maybe Therapy is needed.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

As a smaller guy, the Dean guitar/headstock look comically large when I play them. I don't mind their non-V headstocks, though.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

That is so screwy. I too have a 2004 Pro Series (a Z). I had always been told, and seen it spec'd, that the pickups were Duncans. So I pulled mine for a re-wind, and didn't think twice about questioning this. Even though they didn't have Duncan baseplates, they were labeled JB and '59 on little stickers on the bottom. I figured they had plain baseplates and 50mm spacing because they were O.E.M. Duncans ordered specifically to those specs by Dean.

I send them in to Duncan to be re-wound, and they tell me they aren't Duncans. I contact Dean, and two different people there they tell me yes, they are. I go back to Duncan with this, and they say no, they aren't. I go back to Dean with this, and they ask for pix. I send pix, and they casually change their tune about the pickups. The whole thing really ticked me off.

Exactly.

How did they go about explaining the discrepancy? I'm sure it was a "supplier issue" and not their fault, ha ha!

Like I said, fine guitars, but occasionally shady methods to save a couple bucks

 

[Oldskewl808]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

I have a trans green USA Custom Shop Soltero. It’s a tone monster. Sustains for days. Baker Act in the bridge, and a Flathead in the neck. Super thick AAAAA flame maple cap on mahogany. It’s a Les Paul killer.

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[Masta' C]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

That's stellar! Not enough green guitars in this world, if you ask me!

The Baker Act is very unique. I'm sure it sounds brutal in that guitar!

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

I wasn't going to say anything because...be nice and all, but...that HEADSTOCK!? Why???

Because the headstock looks awesome of course!

RE: pickups...I’ve heard that the baker act is like a JB, but now I hear the Equalizer is like the JB. Any ideas or experience?

Btw, the green Soltero looks KILLER! I saw a Dean Z signed Soltero from ‘08 on reverb the other day. I just don’t know if I could really give up playing the R8 for it.

Luke

 

[Gtrjunior]

Experience with Dean USA guitars?

I have a trans green USA Custom Shop Soltero. It’s a tone monster. Sustains for days. Baker Act in the bridge, and a Flathead in the neck. Super thick AAAAA flame maple cap on mahogany. It’s a Les Paul killer.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Now this headstock I can get on board with. It’s the huge V shape I don’t like.

And yes, that green is b*tchin’.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

I think that I don't mind the huge V shaped headstock because so many others seem to be negatively fixated on it.

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[ItsaBass]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

I used to hate the headstock, till I saw and played one in person. They are pretty attractive, IMO. Stupid design in terms of the string paths, of course, but looks okay on pointy body styles.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

Yeah ergonomically, the headstock is a bad idea. I am more of a function over form guy.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

The Equalizer is closest to the JB, but a little less brash. The Baker Act is noticeably hotter and a little thicker sounding than the Equalizer. Both have good bite and nice harmonics.

I tend to think of them as sort of Dean's "SSH+" and "Aldrich" models, if you know anything about Suhr pickups (the Aldrich is an overwound SSH+)

 

[Mincer]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

Yeah the Baker act is a pretty massive pickup. Pretty much only good for distorted playing, which is what Pat Baker does (and does well).

 

[Aceman]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

I usually talk with Pat a while about pickups. He is a fan of the work of both Seymour and Larry. The Baker act, for me is a pretty freaking cool pickup. It definitely has a very strong but slightly modded JB factor - in all the right ways (for non-JB in mahogany fans...).

I really like the DMT's as a solid around pickup choice too. A way better "generic" set, if you will, than the 490/498.

As for the headstock - if you don't get it, well...I could have Steve Dallas explain. Personally, they can definitely be a bit of a PITA tuning-wise. Again - not the point.

 

[Oldskewl808]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

I hate to stray off a topic a little bit but today I picked up a China made Dean Cocobolo acoustic electric and was very pleasantly surprised! I have heard good things about the import Dean acoustics so I jumped on the deal. I had always kinda passed them off as cheap rubbish but it’s really a solid well made guitar, sounds good, and a looker too!

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[Gtrjunior]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

I hate to stray off a topic a little bit but today I picked up a China made Dean Cocobolo acoustic electric and was very pleasantly surprised! I have heard good things about the import Dean acoustics so I jumped on the deal. I had always kinda passed them off as cheap rubbish but it’s really a solid well made guitar, sounds good, and a looker too!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well isn’t that a looker! Congrats

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

I usually talk with Pat a while about pickups. He is a fan of the work of both Seymour and Larry. The Baker act, for me is a pretty freaking cool pickup. It definitely has a very strong but slightly modded JB factor - in all the right ways (for non-JB in mahogany fans...).

I really like the DMT's as a solid around pickup choice too. A way better "generic" set, if you will, than the 490/498.

As for the headstock - if you don't get it, well...I could have Steve Dallas explain. Personally, they can definitely be a bit of a PITA tuning-wise. Again - not the point.

Thanks for the post Ace. Clarify this for me please, I thought they were all DMTs? I’m not a JB/mahog. fan so your thoughts on the Baker Act are intriguing. Being that the equalizer comes in one of the Caddies I’m looking at it kinda scares me. But both have the nostalgia neck. I take the Nostalgia is like a 59?

Also you mentioned tuning issue on the split headstock, are we just talking about the Angles creating some binding if the nut isn’t perfectly executed?

Thanks!

 

[Aceman]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

Apologies - meant to say "Better than a Generic set". When Dean puts stuff in you usually get a combo like a Nostalgia and a Baker act, etc....Yes - DMT does mean Dean Magnetic Technologies.

FYI - Baker Act is Florida's version of 5150; Held for psychiatric evaluation.. I was very seriously thinking about adding a Baker Act to a Caddy I have.

Yeah - Nostalgia is their 59/PAF style. Can't guarantee I've ever played one, although I'm absolutely sure I have. Also don't care.

I don't know about the Equalizer. Never heard of that.